Stress Fracture
by Descolbabe
Summary: Six months after coming to London, Alfendi's life is thrown through a loop after a miscalculation by the professor and visit from an old friend. Sure, Alfendi has faces down the likes of Targent, Zombies, and Flora's cooking, but how will he handle Luke Triton? Set six months after "Bronev Bros. vs. Zombies" by tophatwriters on .
1. A Gentleman's Dilemma

Although he was a gentleman extraordinaire and a genius to boot, Hershel Layton was not what one might call an organized man, so to find him in one of Gressenheller's many lecture halls a full fifteen minutes after his last class of the day had ended still trying to tidy up was hardly unusual.

Admittedly, Hershel could have probably finished the menial task of erasing the board and squishing his notes into his briefcase far quicker than his current pace, but something about the late afternoon sun streaming in through the windows and into the recently deserted classroom filled him with a warm, contented feeling of peace.

Besides, it wasn't too often that he got the opportunity to teach so long into a semester without being whisked away for another wild adventure, so the Professor was determined to soak in as much of Gressenheller's little joys as he could.

Aside from a few local cases that he had assisted Scotland Yard with of late, Hershel's life had been a great deal quieter than it had been for the past few years. Indeed, there was a lack of masked villains, plots for vengeance, and giant mechanical fortresses attempting to tear apart small countries in his life that was quite welcome indeed. In fact, he had not had any need to leave London ever since his escapade with his estranged brother in Stonehenge six months ago, save for a handful of weekend visits to Monte D'Or. While this dry spell of adventures probably would have left him wanting less than a year ago, he had been unusually grateful for this lull in activity, as an entirely new category of adventure had taken up a great deal of his time…

It had been a long time since Hershel had taken in a young boy, and being a father for Alfendi had proven to be far more different than being Luke Triton's mentor. The lad seemed to have a talent for mischief that Luke had never really shared as well as a carefully maintained distance between himself and others, and the combination had made it difficult for Hershel to get through to him. It was almost as if the boy had been purposefully constructing a wall between himself and everyone else in London, including the Professor himself.

That wall, however, did not stand forever, Hershel mused with a smile as he tried to shove his notes into his already-full-briefcase. He recognized that Alfendi was a victim of very poor circumstances and had been as patient and welcoming as he could with the boy, a patience which was slowly starting to pay off. The eight-year-old's outbursts of troublesome behavior were gradually becoming more isolated - they had gone an entire month without incident - and he seemed to be warming to the idea that his residence in the Layton household was not, in fact, a temporary arrangement, and that opening up to his fellow housemates might be beneficial. Just the other night, in fact, the boy had surprised Hershel by jumping into his lap while he had been finalizing his lesson plan for today's lecture. Both the professor and his adopted son had been so carefully nonchalant about the affair as if it were an everyday occurrence, but even now as he reminisced on it he could feel happiness bursting inside him once again at the lad's act of trust. Alfendi's walls, while not exactly coming down, were expanding to include Hershel.

Latching his suitcase shut and shaking himself out of his contemplation, Hershel walked out into the bustling halls of Gressenheller University. Students and professors alike were rushing to get to their next class, giving the passageways a lively, excitable air that Hershel gladly breathed in. Because he had finished his teaching obligations for the day, the professor had the luxury of taking his time returning to his office, occasionally speaking to one of his fellow professors or allowing a student to ask him a question about a homework assignment while allowing his mind to wander, absently planning the rest out the rest of his day. Perhaps he would try to find Alfendi at Scotland Yard and steal him away for a late afternoon tea with himself and Flora. It would be a good bonding experience for all of them, and surely Chelmey could do without his apprentice for a couple of hours…

Hershel was pleased about Alfendi's new apprenticeship with Inspector Chelmey, truly he was. Not only did it give the boy a sense of discipline that Hershel seemed unable to inspire himself, but the young lad seemed to worship the ground the inspector walked on, and Hershel knew all about how a good mentor could influence a young man. Certainly, he had been much the same for Luke -

Luke. The thought of his former apprentice sent a pang of sadness through the professor which he tried to repress. Between moving to Ireland, settling into a new school, and generally trying to build a new life for himself, Luke had been unable to return to London ever since he had first left. They had attempted a few get-togethers which had, so far, always failed due to some unforeseen circumstance. Which was fine, of course. Hershel could certainly appreciate the hustle and bustle of moving to a new town and starting anew, as he himself had done so more than once in his youth. And it was not, after all, like they were not keeping in touch; the two had an almost constant correspondence through letters, in which they kept each other updated about everything happening in their busy lives.

Well, _almost _everything, that was. Hershel had not yet brought up the topic of his new son with his former pupil. When he had first adopted the boy, after all, he had been planning to see Luke in a few weeks time, and had hoped to explain the situation to him in person. After all, a true gentleman such as himself would never give such an important announcement through the mail. No, these things had to be done a certain way at a certain time. So when his plans for Luke's visit had fallen through, they had started planning for the next time they could visit "in a month or so," and Hershel was sure the announcement could be put on hold until then. But as time went on more plans had fallen apart, and it had now been almost half a year ever since Alfendi had entered his life, and finding the right way and the right time to break the news to Luke was becoming increasingly more difficult.

A small, guilt-ridden part of Hershel realized that it wasn't just failing plans that were keeping him from telling Luke about his son, but a futile effort to protect the young man. He knew that Luke had always looked up to him and that they shared a special bond as mentor and apprentice, and he couldn't help but be concerned that the news of Hershel adopting a son would somehow wound Luke, or leave him feeling replaced.

It was that same uneasy part of his mind that pushed the thought of Luke and the predicaments that surrounded him away. It was another issue for another time, after all, and right now he just wanted to relax in his office. Yes, that was the ticket. He just needed to relax, maybe phone over to Scotland Yard to see if Alfendi was available for tea…

The professor was so distracted by the time that he got to his office that the familiar voice that greeted him didn't phase him in the slightest.

"Ah, Professor! All done for the day, I see?"

"Indeed, Luke. I was just about t-"

When the young man's name passed Hershel's lips, everything seemed to freeze around him. No, that wasn't possible. He wasn't hearing correctly. As if to corroborate his theory, time seemed to have stopped working as well as his ears, because there was no way that turning around was actually a slow-motion endeavor…

It seemed rather impossible his hearing, timing, _and_ vision were all failing him, but there was no other way that Luke Triton could be smiling at him from across his office. Unless...

"Luke?" He asked disbelievingly as he rushed over to the young man as if he might vanish in an instant. "Is it really…?"

"Of course it's me, professor!" Luke laughed, and that solidified it in Hershel's mind. This was no apparition, no ghostly flicker that would cease to exist before his eyes. No, Luke Triton was truly present in his office at Gressenheller University. "Who else would I be?"

"My boy… you're here!" Hershel exclaimed joyfully. "How on earth…? Please, sit down." He added, remembering his manners as he motioned to the couch.

"I knew there was a long weekend coming up on the calendar, so I thought I would try to visit." Luke explained as he sat down. "I know I should have written, but we've had such bad luck so far that I thought… well…" his former protégé glanced around sheepishly for a moment. "...This is alright, isn't it?"

"Alright? I'm simply delighted to see you." Hershel's words had a near instantaneous effect on the boy, because he brightened up once again the moment they were spoken. "How are your parents? Have they come with you as well?" he asked cordially. A true gentleman would never forget to inquire about the family members of a friend, after all, and especially not when said parents were said gentleman's best friends from university.

"They're good. And no, they were too busy. Well, they said that, but I think they were mostly afraid of the idea of flying in," Luke rambled on excitedly. "I tried to convince them that air travel is perfectly safe these days - they let me go on the Bostonius, after all! - but they weren't hearing it. Anyway, they send their love." the young man finished rather abruptly, as though he had suddenly realized that he was rambling. Layton couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'll admit that I must agree with their opinions on commercial airlines, but I am glad that you are here nonetheless. You said that you will be here for the weeken-"

"-Hey!" a new voice cut in, and Hershel froze for a second time. "I tried t' phone, but you must've been teachin' or somethin'. Inspector Chelmey said I could come over if I… oh. Am I interruptin'?"

Hershel hoped his panic wasn't written on his face when he turned to glance over to the door. For a moment, all he could do was look back and forth between the confused faces of Luke Triton and Alfendi Layton.

This was… decidedly not good.


	2. Apocalypse

Alfendi rushed through the crowded halls of Gressenheller University, his bare feet slapping against the cold stone floor as he navigated through the hoards of students and faculty that towered over him like trees. Actually, he might have been slightly more comfortable if they were trees – after all, trees didn't move right into your way, or step on your feet, or ask if you were lost young man and why on earth you were running through a distinguished university with no shoes on?

Brushing his bright red curls out of his line of vision, Alfendi rolled his eyes and continued running, resisting the urge to threaten to cut the man's tongue out for asking too many questions. Apparently, that frowned upon in this environment. Or at least, that's what the professor had said last time…

If he had his way, Alfendi wouldn't be caught dead in Gressenheller's too-loud hallways and enormous, echoey lecture halls. But unfortunately, his caretaker - no, his father worked here, so if he wanted to visit, he had to endure the noisy, crowded passages of the university.

It wasn't as if he had to come here often anyway, so it wasn't the hardest cross to bear. In fact, he had only been here twice before - once when Hershel had shown him the place, again when he had been escorted back by a police officer to meet with Professor Lay - no, with his father after he had not vandalized a grocery stand in town. Well, not that they could prove, anyway.

The memory caused the boy to smile as he continued on his way to his father's office.

It had been busy as usual over at Scotland Yard, but Inspector Chelmey had told him that he could go visit his careta – father – as long as he returned to make sure things were in order at the end of the day. Apparently, father-son bonding was considered to be very important to a growing boy's mind. Or something like that. He hadn't really been listening at that point, because he'd been phoning over to Gressenheller to see if his adoptive father could meet him somewhere in the city. Unfortunately, the phone had not been answered, and Alfendi found himself in the heart of Gressenheller against his better wishes.

The eight-year-old skidded to a halt just short of slamming into the office door. Only a few months ago, the sight of that great wooden door would have been daunting to him, but Alfendi could stare up at the painted top hat now with 100% confidence. Or 90%. An argument could be made for 80%…

Okay, so he had admittedly not completely adjusted to London yet, but that was alright. His companions had assured him that he would have plenty of time to acclimatize to his new environment, and against his better judgement Alfendi was starting to believe that maybe they were right and this time was different after all and he could finally have a family of his own…

The boy shoved his thoughts aside as forcefully as he shoved the door open. "Hey!" he greeted his adoptive father, and, by way of explanation, added "I tried t' phone, but yah must've been teachin' or somethin'. Inspector Chelmey said I could come over if I…" It was only then that Alfendi realized that the Professor was not alone in his office. Sitting across from the his adoptive father was a young man dressed in a great deal of blue with a funny hat to match.

"…Oh. Am I interruptin'?" Alfendi asked, suddenly feeling sheepish. He was familiar with the idea that Layton sometimes met with student after his classes were finished, but he usually met them in the lecture hall instead of his cramped, messy little office, and there was no reason the professor should look so alarmed that his ward had interrupted a conversation about old dirty rocks or something. Besides, Alfendi was 90% sure this boy could only be a few years older than him.

"Ah, yes. Alfendi." Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered that his father was speaking to him, but most of his brainpower was being utilized to solve the mystery of what was going on here. "If you could just wait outside for a moment…"

The rest of the sentence was lost on the boy. He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side curiously, but turned to leave all the same, secretly wishing there were some way to take the scene outside with him, so he could continue his "investigation." He was nearly out the door, a picture on the professor's desk caught his eye, and everything clicked.

100%.

"Wait a sec, I know you!" Alfendi exclaimed, turning back around and pointing at the boy in the funny blue hat. "Yer Luke Triton, right?" The question was asked only for formality, of course. When Alfendi reached 100% certainty, there was never a shadow of a doubt that he was wrong.

Luke Triton nodded in confirmation. "…Yes I am." he answered, sounding uncertain. "I'm sorry, do I know you…?"

The slowness of other people's minds was a Alfendi's greatest pet peeve. Honestly, if a eight-year-old with hardly any formal education could come to the correct conclusion in under five minutes, why couldn't everyone else? In this instance, however, he was willing to pass his peer's slowness on possible seasickness – no, scratch that, jetlag, judging by the slight dark circles under his eyes. "Well no, we've never met," he explained, extending a hand forward for Luke to shake. "But you've probably heard of me. I'm Alfendi."

Oddly, this seemed to provide no clarity, and Luke did not take his hand. Instead, the older boy shot at the professor a confused look, but the man didn't seem to notice. In fact, he seemed to be trying to steer Alfendi out of the room for some reason. But adults had always seemed weird to him and he was starting to get irked by Luke's slowness, so he payed his father no mind. "You know," he urged. "Alfendi? The professor's son?"

Luke's eyes seemed to pop out of his skull, and for a moment Alfendi felt deep satisfaction at having sorted everything out. But his satisfaction was fleeting, as the next words out of Luke Triton's mouth would shatter it completely.

"Wha?! Professor, you never told me you had a son!"

Everything froze around him. The air felt thicker, harder to breathe. Every time he had heard the name "Luke Triton" in the half year since he had arrived in London was flashing before his eyes. Every letter that he had seen the professor write, every casual reference to a case long past, every 'Luke would always do this' and 'Luke never acted like that' was adding up into a monstrous pile that made the eight year old suddenly aware of how small he was. Because in all that time, while he had been hearing about Luke Triton on a near constant basis, the professor had never once mentioned Alfendi to Luke.

Not once.

In all fairness, Alfendi had never experienced the end of the world before, so he couldn't actually guarantee that this was what it felt like. But with his pulse roaring in his ears, his stomach lurching inside him, and the sudden, twisting pain in his chest where his heart was, he wasn't sure how else he could describe these feelings.

But if there was one thing that Alfendi knew how to do, it was how to hide his pain from the world. So by the time that Triton had collected himself and said "Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners?" and reached out his hand out to shake Alfendi's, the boy had already returned his own outstretched hand to his side and put on his most expressionless, placid poker face. Triton held out his hand for a moment longer before retracting it to cover up a small, awkward cough that gave Alfendi a twinge of vindication. Behind him, the boy could hear his caretaker shifting uneasily.

"Alfendi," the professor's voice sounded apologetic, but Alfendi poker face didn't falter. "Perhaps you would like to wait outside for–"

"Nah, tha's fine." Alfendi cut his caretaker off without sparing him so much as glance. No, his gaze was locked on Triton like an animal zeroing in on its prey. Behind his facade, the eight-year-old felt like screaming, crying, punching a hole in the wall, but he knew doing any of those things would only show weakness.

But he would be damned if he didn't do his utmost to make perfect, flawless, constantly-talked-about Luke Triton hurt inside the same way he did.

"So yer Luke Triton, huh?" the question was nearly identical to one he had asked only a minute before, but this time it came out with a bite to it, intended to wound. He looked the older boy up and down before shrugging. "Well then."

"Well then what?" Triton seemed to be thrown off by the sudden change in mood, and it took all of Alfendi's best efforts to keep himself from smirking vindictively.

"Oh, nothin'." He replied offhandedly. "I guess I jus' expected you to be a bit more… well…" he gestured vaguely with his arms outstretched for a moment before finishing "…more."

The boy knew he had hit his mark when he heard the man behind him exclaim "Alfendi!" in an affronted tone, while the older boy's expression shifted from curious to shocked.

"I beg your pardon?" Triton asked, as if hoping he had misheard.

"Y'know," Alfendi went on in the most casual of tones, inspecting his nails just to add the perfect touch of indifference to his demeanor. "Like how sometimes yah hear about someone and yeh think they're gonna be somethin' special, but then you meet 'em and they're just…"

"Just what, exactly?" Triton demanded, crossing his arms huffily and narrowing his eyes.

"Boys, please." Layton tried to cut in, but was promptly ignored by both parties.

"Well, they're just not –"

"–Professor? Are you in here?" the door swung open and a soft female voice cut through the tension like a knife, causing all three of the rooms occupants to turn to the door. Their gazes were met by none other than Flora Reinhold, who gasped in delight at the sight of them. Or at least, at one of them.

"Luke!" She cried out, running over to embrace the young man. Alfendi observed as she continued to dote over her former companion and tell him how much she had missed him and my, how he'd grown, but her words did not really register with him. All he could think about was how his quest for revenge had been taken from him. After all, he would never be able to bring himself to fight with someone in front of Flora, not after she had always met him with such kindness and fondness, as if she were truly his older sister. No, his battle with Triton would have to wait until later. And after he'd gone through so much trouble to set the mood…

He could feel the professor's gaze on him and promptly ignored it. If the professor was only going to acknowledge his existence when convenient, then so be it, Alfendi could reciprocate. It wasn't like he was unused to being forgotten, abandoned, left to die on his own for all the world cared –

No. he wasn't going to think about that. If his mind continued down that road, he knew his poker face would slip and everyone would see his hurt, and there was no way in hell he was giving anyone that satisfaction. So he forced those thoughts into the furthest corners of his mind and locked them away.

"…And you've met Alfendi!" hearing Flora say his name wrenched the boy from his thoughts. "Oh, this is wonderful! You two are going to be great friends, I can tell."

In response, Triton cast a quick, disapproving glare down at Alfendi which the eight-year-old responded to with as much sardonicism as he could muster while going unnoticed by his sister, and for a moment he could tell that they agreed on one thing: that Flora could not be more wrong.

"Oh yeah." he replied in a casual tone laced with the slightest of venom. "I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun together." Triton narrowed his eyes in response – thankfully Flora was looking away from him and down at Alfendi at this point, because the so called 'gentleman' didn't seem to care if he hurt the poor girl's feelings – but he said nothing.

The silence raged on for an eternity held within two seconds before Flora gave a small jump that made Alfendi momentarily drop his poker face. The idea that something might have hurt his beloved older sister was classified as an emergency in his mind, and it was even more important than antagonizing his new enemy. His lapse was, thankfully, only momentary, as Flora proved to be unharmed as soon as her next words passed her lips.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Professor, Inspector Chelmey was looking for you! Actually, he was looking for you too, Alfendi." she added, turning her kind gaze on her brother. "He said that he needed you back at the Yard as soon as possible. Something about…" But Alfendi didn't hear the rest of her story. He merely gave a nod in response before leaving the office, shooting Triton one last venomous glare. Their eyes met briefly, and Alfendi found that Triton's contained as much loathing as he himself felt. It took all of his concentration to walk cooly out of the door instead of slamming it behind him.

No matter how strong the temptation was to break down, Alfendi refused to lower his mask. No matter his knees threatened to buckle underneath him, he kept pushing himself to move forward. As he broke into a run, he fought the numbness inside him back by concentrating on the sound of his bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor and, once he had finally escaped the clutches of Gressenheller, the pain of the hot asphalt against his flesh.

He only wished he could convince himself that his burning feet were the source of the tears that blurred his vision.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone!

So I realize this didn't upload correctly earlier and I would like to apologize for that. I tried to copy and paste it straight from my tumblr and didn't like that very much. Here's the chapter in the correct format!

Thank you all so much for all of the positive responses to this story so far! It warms my hear to know that you all like it so much.

Tune in next Thursday for more _Fanning the Flames, _and then next Saturday for more of this!


	3. The Unwound Present

The professor had a son.

The professor had a _son._

No matter how many times the phrase ran through his head, Luke still couldn't work his mind around it. He had always expected his beloved mentor to find another apprentice eventually. It was only natural. The professor was a busy man, after all, and someone needed to help him sort through his many letters and help him keep his office tidied up. He always knew his place would be taken one day, just as he had taken his dear friend Emmy's place after she had left.

But to be replaced by… well… _that?_

He glanced over briefly as the boy left the room - and without even waiting for the professor! What bad form! - and caught what was probably the tail end of the most malicious glare he had ever received. The boy was nothing short of a _miscreant, _from his bare feet to his mess of curls, which were so unruly that Luke could hardly see those hate-filled yellow eyes… and that _manner! _How could the professor possibly have a son who was so shockingly rude? And moreover, how could any young man be so ungrateful to be the son of the great Professor Layton?

Luke wasn't offended that someone else had taken his place, because had always known his shoes would be filled by another one day. He had just thought he had left bigger footprints than that.

As the younger boy left the room, Luke turned his attention back to the conversation in happening in front of him, remaining silent while his irritation simmered down. There was no use staying angry now, after all, not when he was finally spending time with the people he had come so far to see. No, he wanted every moment he would spend with the Professor and Flora to be a good one from here on out, and no little punk was going to take that from him.

"...think it might have something to do with that, do you Professor?" Flora's question, whatever the whole thing had been, made the professor stroke his chin thoughtfully.

"I don't know. But I suppose there is only one way to find out!" Layton answered, a small smile on his lips as he turned to address Luke. "I don't suppose you would mind making a quick visit to Scotland Yard, would you, Luke?"

Suddenly, everything seemed to be alright with the world again. "Would I ever!" He replied enthusiastically. Not only would he get to see his friends is Scotland Yard again, but he would be going to the Yard with the Professor and Flora, and everything would be just like the old days.

He must have come off more eagerly than he had intended, because the professor chuckled in response. "Then let us be on our way." And then they were.

Luke couldn't help but stroll a bit slower through the distinguished halls of Gressenheller University. Even when he had first come here as a child to be the professor's apprentice, the university had always filled him with wonder and awe. Even now, with the late afternoon light streaming in through the windows and making the walls appear as if they were made of gold, Luke felt as if he was living in a dream. When he was in Gressenheller, things were _right. _He knew this was where he wanted to be, where he _should_ be. Being in this place with his two closest friends at his side was all he could ever want, and everything he never wanted to leave behind. Had Luke had his way, he never would have left at all. London had given him a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging that Misthallery had never given him, and that he doubted Ireland ever would.

So when the professor asked him how he was liking his new home, he found it difficult to answer.

"Well, you know..." he started off nervously. He didn't like keeping secrets from the professor, but he had to admit that he had left certain details out of his most recent letters. Nothing as big as adopting a new son, of course, but little things here and there, like how he had been unable to find another apprenticeship to keep him busy, or how hard it was to relate to his peers when none of them had ever stared death in the face even _once_...

"It's great!" he found himself telling the lie without even thinking about it as they walked out the doors of the university and into the bustling streets of London. "Really great. Nothing like here, of course," he added quickly, as if adding an element of truth would convince him that he was telling the truth, "but it's really… yeah. Great."

"That's wonderful!" The professor replied with a smile. "And I trust that your parents are doing well?"

That, of course was easier to talk about than his personal life. Luke found himself rambling on about little things, like how popular his mother already was among the women in their new town, or how well his father was doing with the new exhibits he was setting up at the local museum.

"...He says some of the exhibits on Irish folklore are really fascinating! Nothing like working with the Azran exhibits, of course, but it should be really neat!"

"Indeed." the professor agreed with his usual good-natured smile. "Perhaps once the museum opens, we should stop in and see it."

Flora clapped her hands together happily. "That would be wonderful! Oh Luke, do you think that your parents would be alright with that?"

"Of course!" Luke agreed almost without thought. His parents had loved the professor ever since their college days, and they had always raved about Flora. There was no way that they could possibly be opposed to the two of them staying over for a few nights -

"Oh, Alfendi is going to be so pleased!" Flora exclaimed. "I'm sure he'll love Ireland! what do you think, Professor?"

Oh. Right. In the excitement, Luke had forgotten all about the red haired rascal. He tried to ignore the dropping feeling in his stomach at the mention of the boy. The bare-footed menace didn't belong in this moment, where he finally had the professor and Flora all to himself. Nor did he belong in any of their future visits. No, those were supposed to be _theirs, _not _his_.

"So professor, do you know anything about Irish folklore?" he found himself asking before the professor could respond to Flora. He certainly didn't mean to be rude - he _was _a gentleman in training, after all - but he could not bear to let this conversation continue down the path it was on.

The professor blinked surprisedly in response to the barrage of questions. "...No, I can't say I know much about the topic, Luke." he replied slowly, his brow furrowed in what seemed to be concern beneath the brim of his top hat.

"Well, it's certainly nothing like studying the Azran civilization, I can tell you that." Luke pressed on, pretending not to have noticed the professor's concern. "Or the Elysian box, for that matter. Speaking of which, do you remember that time when…" And with that, they were reminiscing once again, remembering their ridiculous escapade in Folsense.

"...And when we were slipping around on that ice trying to get to Mr. Herzen's castle? I thought for sure I was going to fall through!"

"I had full confidence in your ability to stay above the surface." the professor chimed in. Luke could feel the concern with which the professor was regarding him, but chose to continue turning a blind eye.

"I wish I could have been there." Flora mused without a trace of bitterness. "But Dropstone was very nice. You two would have enjoyed it. Actually," she added as she turned to the professor, "it's was rather similar to Chippenham, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmmm." The professor smiled contemplatively. "Yes, I would say they were very similar, although I found Dropstone to be altogether more welcoming."

Luke looked back and forth between the two for a few moments. In all of their adventures, he couldn't recall a town called "Chippenham." As if noticing his confusion, Flora started to explain.

"Oh, we got called out to the most interesting case a few months ago, all the way out to Stonehenge! Uncle Desmond was there, and there were all of these rather frightening creatures. Alfendi would say the silliest things about them, though, so it was hard to be frightened…"

Luke could hardly process what he was hearing. The hoodie wearing ruffian had gone on adventures with them? With them and "_Uncle Desmond?_" Flora had gotten on first name terms with that… with that _beast _of a man while had been away, and Alfendi along with her?

He shouldn't feel betrayed. That was silly, and would not help anyone. Even knowing that, he couldn't stop the hurt that seemed to have dropped into his gut. He had known the professor would be going on adventures without him after his departure, but to hear about it in person… to hear about his replacement going on wild adventures with the professor and Flora and _Uncle Desmond…_

Luke had never been one for concealing his feelings, so it did not surprise him that, even when he was doing his best, the professor still took notice. "Now Flora," his mentor said, cutting the young lady off, "perhaps we should tell this story a bit later. We wouldn't want to overwhelm Luke right after he arrived."

"Oh, of course not!" Flora uttered with a look of remorse. "I'm sorry, Luke! You must still be so exhausted from your trip."

"It's alright," he reassured her. As a true gentleman, he certainly could not let a young lady feel any sort of hurt or shame on behalf of his actions. "I would love to hear all about Stonehenge later." It was a lie, of course. Luke didn't want to hear another word about Stonehenge for as long as he lived, but he had to do his duty as a gentleman.

"That is, perhaps, for the best." Hershel added. "As we will be at the Yard momentarily. We should start going over what we already know. Now Flora, you were saying that…"

Luke tried his best to listen, truly he did. But the sinking feeling in his gut made it all but impossible for him to remember basic things, like continuing to walk and breathe.

Once before, Luke Triton had thought he had traveled to a horrible future where everything was wrong. He had met his "future self" who had told him that the professor had changed beyond all belief. It had been one of the most unpleasant experience in all fourteen years of his life, and he had been glad when he had found out that it had all been a lie. But now, walking with the professor in the virtually unchanged city of London, he found those feelings of dread and uncertainty creeping through him. Only this time, there was a feeling of certainty that made it even worse.

This time, he knew there was no going back and everything being alright. The future was here, and he was powerless to fight it.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone!

Shout out to everyone who let me know early on that there was a problem with the last chapter. I was out all day after publishing last Saturday, but the problem has since been fixed and the chapter is readable now. I think what happened was that I tried to copy and paste it straight from tumblr, and didn't like that too much.

Speaking of tumblr, if any of you worry that you're getting a bit lost in this story, the prequel with Uncle Desmond and adopting Alfendi in Chippenham is up on tumblr but is not yet here on . If you go to .com, it's the story titled _Bronev Bros. vs. Zombies._

Thank you all for giving this story a chance! I know it's not my usual Desmond gig, but it means a great deal to me and it was very fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Tune in next Thursday for another installment of _Fanning the Flames, _and then for more of this story next Saturday!


	4. An Inspector's Priority

Ch. 4 An Inspector's Priority

If there was one thing that was vital to solving mysteries, it was attention to detail. For the common person, this was a handy parlor trick that helped them solve puzzles for their friends, but for an Inspector of the Yard, this skill could be the difference between life and death. So naturally, when his trusty apprentice had left that afternoon to find his father with an impish grin and returned with red eyes and a stone cold expression, it did not escape Inspector Chelmey's keen eye.

Of course, there wasn't much he could do about it, not when Scotland Yard was in such a state of disarray. After the reports that had been delivered to him this afternoon, there wasn't a moment to spare to comfort the lad. No, even the young had to learn that in moments of emergency, it was every man for himself at the Yard. That was the nature of the career they had chosen, the vows they had taken, and the lives they all lived.

So naturally, Chelmey found himself pulling Alfendi to the side at the first chance he got.

"What's the matter, lad?" he asked as he followed the boy down to the file room in the basement of the Yard. "Everything go alright with your father?"

The inspector's eye was always alert for the slightest changes in his surroundings. It was his duty as an Inspector, after all, to be constantly alert. So when the boy clenched his jaw at the mention of his father, Chelmey took notice.

"Yessir. Fine." Alfendi replied, not looking his superior in the eye - odd behavior for the lad, as he was usually so talkative and expressive. He was not sure how, but Chelmey knew that he had somehow earned the troubled lad's respect - and even more impressively his trust - in the six month since his adoptive father had brought him to London. As a result, the young man was usually very keen to impress the Inspector - as well he should be. It was fitting behavior for an apprentice.

At the lack of further comment, the Inspector felt his brow furrow. He tucked his hands in his pocket and nodded with a small "Ah." There was no reason to keep prodding at the boy, after all. No, he had learned that if Alfendi needed to say something, he would come out and say it on his own time. Besides, as the boy's superior, he needed to trust that his apprentice would tell him everything in due time.

"Do yah know Luke Triton, sir?" Alfendi blurted out after a few moments of silence, still hiding his eyes behind his bright red curls.

While this didn't provide perfect clarity, the Inspector believed that he was beginning to understand what was bothering the lad. He did pride himself in his ability to solve mysteries, after all. Granted, this one wasn't too hard, considering that the boy's father was Hershel Layton, who had been good friends with Luke Triton for many years. Clearly, the professor had brought Triton up one too many times again, and Alfendi was feeling like a replacement for the other boy.

"Yeah. I met him once or twice." he replied honestly, watching the lad for a reaction. The boy remained stoic as ever, and Chelmey found himself cursing anyone and everyone who had ever forced a boy so young to learn how to hide within himself like that. It wasn't natural - boys his age should be exploding with emotions over silly things, without knowledge of how hard the world could be.

"And what'd yah think of him?"

"...He was a good lad, I suppose." Chelmey said carefully. He didn't want to lie, that wouldn't serve anyone well in the long run.

Alfendi huffed a but at that. "I think he's a bit of a tosser, really." Even though his apprentice wasn't looking him in the eye yet, Chelmey could tell that the lad's calm mask was beginning to fall away.

"Yeah?" He prodded gently, trying to remain casual. Experience had taught him that anything else would make the boy flighty.

"Yeah. He's jus' -" Alfendi slammed the files down onto a table, his facade evaporating at last and his true emotions coming to the surface. "I mean, who comes over from _Ireland _without tellin' anyone first, huh? I mean, who _does_ that shit? An' then he just _waltzes _in an' thinks we'll all bend over backwards for him… It's rude, is what it is."

Not for the first time in his life, Chelmey found himself reevaluation his conclusion after gathering new information from a Layton. So the Triton boy was in the area now, huh? And no doubt he and Alfendi had butted heads. His apprentice was many things, but passive was certainly not one of them. The Inspector attributed the boy's combative behavior to his troubled past - bouncing from home to home was a difficult thing for a growing boy, and it was only natural that the experience left the young man jaded.

"It does seem a bit rude, yeah." the Inspector had to tread carefully. He didn't want to give his apprentice further any reason to hate the professor's old ward, but he knew that Alfendi needed to feel like he had some support. "I certainly would have written."

"Anyone in their right mind would've written!" the lad burst out, letting his hands flying out in front of him for emphasis as any last pretense of calmness vanished from him. "Even those of us who _aren' _would've, because it's the _decent bloody thing to do_!"

"And I''m guessin' you two didn' get along tha' well, eh?" Chelmey inquired, trying to steer the conversation somewhere he could handle better. Ignoring the lad's language was almost too easy for him. Hershel had even started implying that the boy's colourful vocabulary had to do with his mentor's influence, an accusation that was… not entirely unfounded, if he was being honest with himself.

"Oh, hell no." the boy replied, agitatedly running a hand through his hair, making it somehow even messier than before.

"An' you were on your best behavior, I'm guessin'?" the boy seemed to pick up on the sarcasm with which the question was asked, because his lips twitched upward for a brief moment.

"I actually was, I'll have yah know."

"Uh huh."

"No, really. I was bein' all polite and shit."

"I'm sure."

"Really!" the boy insisted. The fact his scowl replaced by a smirk gave filled the Inspector with satisfaction. "I didn' even throttle him when he was bein' all slow."

"Wow." Chelmey was doing his very best not to laugh at the boy's last statement. Instead, he settled for a deadpan reply while ruffling the kid's hair. "Yer an inspiration to us all."

Alfendi let out a cry of protest at having his hair messed up that was suspiciously close to laughter. "Hey! I'll have yah know tha' it wasn' easy!" the boy slipped out of Chelmey's grasp as he spoke. "You lot _should_ be inspired by me."

The Inspector was chuckling before he could help himself, but his apprentice was laughing along with him, so he wasn't worried adding insult to injury at this point.

"Oh, I'm sure we all are -"

"Inspector Chelmey, sir!" A new voice cut in from the floor above, causing the pair to snap back to attention. "The commissioner wants to go over the briefing with you before the consultant arrives!"

Ah, of course. Duty was calling, and it was his task as an officer of the law to respond. "Of course, Barton." he responded, all the laughter in his tone replaced with a sense of urgency. "I'm on my way."

With that, the Inspector started to ascend the staircase that led to the main floor of Scotland Yard at a brisk pace. "Right, I'm going to want all those files brought up to the briefin' room, stat!" he barked the orders back to his apprentice. "In order of relevance, not alphabetical. Oh, and Alfendi?" he paused to turn around and glance at his apprentice. The boy had a sudden, serious determination that ignited a spark of pride deep within the older man. This young man would truly be a great inspector one day, he could tell. "This conversation ain't over. I'm still gonna want all the detail about Triton once this case blows over, yah hear?"

If the lad thought he was doing a good job at disguising the happiness he felt at hearing those words, he was mistaken. For the most part, however, the boy regained his composure admirably as he saluted his mentor and eagerly responded "Yessir!"

Chelmey nodded curtly. "Good. Now those files, before I have to come down and get 'em myself." at those words, his trusty apprentice sprang into action collecting old folders off of the many shelves in the file room. The Inspector watched him for a brief moment, pride swelling within him, before he turned and continued to climb the remaining steps.

He was an inspector of the Yard, after all, and duty had to be his first priority.

…Most of the time.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone!

Reeeally sorry about the delay on this chapter! I've been travelling (I'm posting this from a hotel) and I haven't really had a chance to get on the computer lately. No worries, though, I'll still be posting as close to my usual days as I can!

Let me know what you think of this chapter and the new apprenticeship established! Chelmey and Alfendi are one of my favorite dynamics to write, and I hope you all like them too. ^.^

See you on Thursday for more _Fanning the Flames!_


	5. Getting the Band Back Together

Hershel decided that he had certainly been right about one thing: this situation was, decidedly, not good at _all_.

Alfendi's casual distance back in his office had wrenched his heart. He had felt that he could practically see the boy's walls snap back into place, as if his months of work at wearing them down had been lost in a moment. He had only heard that tone of dissonance once before, when they had met in Chippenham all those months back and the boy had been convinced that Hershel had meant him harm but refused to show fear…

If his son's obvious hurt was not bad enough, Luke's obvious despair was the final blow that had torn his heart in two. After the boy had gone through so much trouble to give Hershel joy, his poor handling of the situation had given the boy nothing but anguish. If he were to be perfectly honest with himself, he wasn't sure which hurt more: Alfendi's careful concealment of his emotions, or Luke's display of his.

The Professor found himself filled with regret as they approached Scotland Yard. This was his fault. He should have said something to Luke sooner, or explained to Alfendi why he was holding off on his announcement, or _something _that would have prevented this from blowing up in all of their faces.

He wasn't sure if he was listing what little details he knew about their current case out of a desire to distract Luke or to attempt to bury his own shame, but he found himself doing so all the same. As he rambled on, he found himself desperately trying to make eye contact with his former apprentice, but just as it had been with his son in his office, his efforts were ultimately futile.

As he pushed the doors to Scotland Yard open in front of him, the professor realized that no matter how much he wanted to piece his relationships with both young men back together, these were not puzzles he could solve right now. No, he had to focus on helping Chelmey for the time being, and the rest would all have to wait until later.

"Layton!" Inspector Chelmey's voice cut through his thoughts. The inspector was standing across the crowded room from Layton and his companions, gesturing for them to come over.

"Good afternoon, Inspector" Hershel greeted Chelmey once he had crossed the room.

"Good, yer here." Chelmey replied by way of greeting. Hershel frowned slightly. The commotion of the room aside along with the inspector's shortness could only implicate that things were not going well. "There'll be a briefin' in a few minutes. Can't really say anythin' until then -"

"Inspector Chelmey, sir!" Alfendi's familiar voice cut into their conversation as the boy bounded into the room carrying an armful of folders. "Here are th' folders you wanted, in order of -" Once again, Hershel wasn't sure which was worse; feeling Luke tense up at his side upon seeing the younger boy, or hearing his son's voice falter at the sight of himself and his companions. When Alfendi spoke again, his stone cold demeanour felt like a stab to Hershel's heart. "...in order of relevance, not alphabetical."

"Good lad." Chelmey replied with what could easily be mistaken for a hint of warmth in his voice. "Now hurry up and help Barton set up the projector before I have to do it myself."

"Yessir." Alfendi replied with a nod, maintaining an aloof expression. Before he turned and stalked away, Hershel could have sworn that he saw Alfendi shoot a spiteful glare back at his former apprentice, but the moment passed as soon as he had noticed it. The look had not gone unnoticed by even Inspector Chelmey, if the hint of concern Hershel noticed in the Inspector's eyes was anything to go by. Even if Chelmey had wanted to mention it - which Hershel dearly hoped was not the case, with Luke still right next to him - the opportunity was lost when a call came from down the hall.

"OI! Two minutes 'till the briefin' starts!"

The professor could practically feel the tension melting off of his former apprentice. The boy brightened up instantly, the spark returning to his eyes and a grin spreading across his face. The professor smiled knowingly. Perhaps a case like this was just what they needed to reconnect, or even, if they were lucky, for Luke and Alfendi to bond. Perhaps, with the three of them working as a team, the boys would be able to overlook their differences long enough to realize that they actually had quite a bit in common and maybe - just maybe - they would be able to leave as friends…

"Right then!" the young man declared, teeming with excitement. "Shall we, Professor? We wouldn't want to miss anything, would we?"

"I should think not!" Hershel replied, a smile creeping its way across his face. "Inspector, if you would kindly lead us to-"

"Actually, I don' think I can." Chelmey replied matter-of-factly as he turned to face Luke. "This is confidential police business, lad, and seein' as you aren' an officer or a consultant, I can't let you in."

Hershel had always prided himself in his ability to read Luke Triton. Perhaps it had something to do with how similar they were, but even back in Misthallery all those years ago, he had been able to understand the boy better than most. So even when Luke did his best to remain polite and contain himself as any true gentleman would, Hershel could still see his shoulders tense up, the excitement drain from his face, and the spark leave his eyes once again.

It was too much for him to bear. "Surely, there must be some way?" he asked the inspector, trying not to sound like he was pleading. Luke needed this case. He needed Luke to be on this case. After the calamity of their reunion, working together again would be a healing experience, not only for them, but for Alfendi as well…

"Sorry, Layton." Chelmey replied firmly. "I'm twistin' my arm to get you in as it is..."

"No, of course you are." Layton replied. He was first and foremost a gentleman, after all, and would not allow himself or his personal relationships interfere with official business, especially not on a case as urgent as this one. "We understand."

For a moment, Inspector Chelmey almost looked as though he were feeling guilty. "...Right. Well, we're gonna want to head in soon, Layton."

"Go on," Hershel urged the inspector. "I'll only be a minute."

With one last nod, the inspector turned away and joined the flood of people now entering the briefing room. Hershel watched him go for a moment, trying to piece together how he would handle this situation. He couldn't help but lament his new position, when he had been so close to reaching a peaceful solution to their earlier misfortune.

"Luke…" he started, unsure of where he was going.

"It's fine, Professor." The boy replied, eyes downcast. "I understand."

Despite the boy's insistence, Hershel knew a lie when he saw one. This was most certainly not fine. "...Flora," he turned to address his daughter as he spoke. "Why don't you help Luke get reacquainted with London while I'm occupied?"

Flora lit up immediately at the suggestion. "Oh, what a wonderful idea!" she exclaimed, turning to Luke and clasping his hands as she did so. "We'll have plenty of time to catch up, there's so much I want to tell you about! And of course, I want to hear all about Ireland. Are the schools much different there? I've heard that..."

As she continued to gush on, Hershel couldn't help but notice that almost everyone had filed into the briefing room at this point. As badly as he wanted to say a proper farewell, it was becoming rather obvious that there would be no breaking point in Flora's questions, and it would be horrifically ungentlemanly to interrupt. He would have to make due.

As he moved away from the pair of them, Hershel managed to catch Luke's eye. The boy gave a melancholy smile, nodding his farewell. The professor tipped the brim of his top hat to the boy, smiling in return before he made his way into the briefing room.

* * *

Considering the amount of people Hershel had seen flocking to this area, he was hardly surprised by the buzz that filled the room. He was surrounded by officers of many ranks, from constables to chief inspectors, but none of them held his interest. No, he was searching for one very specific face…

Sure enough, when he got closer to the front of the room, it was easy to spot the bright red curls of his son, who was helping Constable Barton compile the slides for the projector. It was clear from the boys expression that he had not noticed his father, for his brow was furrowed and letting his arms fly about dramatically as he spoke to a somewhat terrified looking Barton. The professor frowned at the sight. Honestly, if his son was ever to be a gentleman, he would need to learn to control that temper of his.

Hershel was so concerned that it took him a moment to register the fact that Inspector Chelmey was standing next to him, watching the same scene unfold. "Oh, Inspector!" he exclaimed surprisedly. When Chelmey turned to face him, the man's gruff expression seemed somehow colder than usual. Hershel wondered if this had to do with his son's improper display. He was the boy's guardian, after all, and therefore Alfendi's actions reflected his abilities as a caretaker.

"I'm so terribly sorry about this…" Hershel began, nodding to the boy and the constable at the projector. "He should know better by now. I've told him a million times -"

"Who, Al?" The inspector shrugged. "He's jus' a kid, Layton."

He wasn't sure if it was the tone with which those words were said, the cold look that remained in the inspector's eyes, or both combined with the confusion earlier that afternoon, but Hershel found himself suppressing a guilt that was starting to form in his gut.

"...Yes, I know that." he found himself replying, not uncourteously. "But even so, he should not be taking out his anger in such a manner."

"Kinda makes yeh wonder what he's got t' be angry about." Chelmey replied with a cool expression that made Hershel suddenly understand where his son had learned how to hold a poker face. "But then, I suppose it ain't my place to ask those questions, is it?"

"No." The professor replied with a firmness that surprised even himself. When the inspector raised his eyebrows slightly at this, Hershel remembered his manners. "...No, I suppose it isn't." he repeated, much softer this time. "It's mine. I'll be sure to speak to him about it."

After a brief moment, the inspector's expression warmed slightly, and he gave Hershel a nod. "Good." If Hershel wanted to say more, the chance was lost when the other man turned away to find a seat in the crowded room before the presentation began.

Realizing that everyone else was preparing for the presentation to begin as well, Hershel quickly followed suit, finding a seat near the front of the room. As he sat down, he glimpsed up just in time to make eye contact with Alfendi, who was walking out of the room. The boy looked confused for the briefest of moments, but resumed his previously stoney demeanor before he turned away and sauntered out of the room.

"If everyone would settle down," came the booming voice of Commissioner Grosky, snapping Hershel's attention back to the briefing, "We have quite a bit to cover, and not much time to do so. If you will allow me to direct your attention to our first slide…"


	6. A Puzzling Solution

"...And really, the whole prospect just seems so - oh, where did the Professor go?" Flora looked around the now-empty room in search of a certain top-hatted gentleman. Really, he had such a bad habit of wandering off when she wasn't looking…

"I think he went into the briefing," Luke supplied helpfully.

"It would seem so." Flora replied, trying not to sound put off. She knew the professor had had to go to this briefing and she admired that he was so helpful when Scotland Yard needed him, but really, she had expected him to at least make his departure known. His tendency to drift off without telling anyone was starting getting out of hand again. She had thought that after everything in Chippenham… anyways, if he kept this up, she worried that Alfendi might catch on - he was still so young and impressionable, after all - and if _he _started wandering off, who knew what could happen to him…

No, Flora didn't have time to worry about that now, not when she could finally spend time with her friend! It had been a dreadful long time since she had seen Luke, after all, and she was going to take in every moment she got with him.

"Well, shall we go see London?" She asked cheerfully. She could tell that Luke was really trying to be excited, which was refreshing. His demeanor had almost as blue as his outfit ever since she had run into him in the professor's office. She had been trying to ignore it and focus on happier things, of course, in the hopes that Luke would cheer up through osmosis.

It was odd that people thought she wasn't perceptive. Flora noticed everything, but she chose to focus on the positive. And really, was that so wrong?

"So where would you like to go first?" the young lady asked her companion, trying not to be disconcerted by the fact that she could now look him in the eye without looking down. Boys grew so fast, it was alarming…

Flora waited patiently for the young gentleman's reply, which he seemed to be struggling with. "Oh, uh… I don't know," he stammered. "It's been a while… why don't you choose?"

This despondency from him was unacceptable, and Flora decided that she was not having any of it. No, he needed something to cheer him up, something familiar that would remind him how much he loved this city…

The answer was so simple, it was practically staring her in the face. It took all of her willpower not to grin mischievously when the thought occurred to her. "Alright then." she replied, trying not to sound overly innocent as she walked out the door that Luke was holding open for her and out into the city.

Apparently, patience still wasn't Luke's strong suit, because they weren't even across the street from the Yard when he asked "So… where are we going?" Flora let a playful smile tug at her lips.

"It's a surprise!"

"Oh?"

"Mhhm." Flora didn't regret her decision not to tell, because not Luke's full attention seemed to have shifted from whatever had brought him down to solving this puzzle, and something close to a smile had found its way to his face as a result.

"And is there any particular reason you want to surprise me?" Luke asked, sounding so genuinely amused that Flora couldn't help but grin.

"You surprised us! I had to return the favor." she replied simply, grinning from ear to ear.

Her grin was short lived, however, because Luke's face dropped the moment her words left her lips. Okay, clearly mentioning the surprising nature of his visit was off limits. She would have to try a new tactic to cheer him up…

"So… how are things in Ireland these days?" she found herself asking. Ireland seemed like it would be a safe backup topic. It was where Luke's family was, after all, and the Tritons were such a lovely bunch. Surely, there was no way that could go wrong, right?

Wrong. Luke suddenly became very interested in their surroundings, his posture sinking slightly. "It's…. nice." his reply was slow and drawn out, as if he were being careful with his words.

The answer was obvious, and once again, Flora was surprised that she hadn't thought of it sooner. The glancing around, the reluctance to talk about his arrival... Luke must be homesick for Ireland.

Well, she could fix that. all he needed was to be reminded of his new home as they proceeded to her surprise location, and once they arrived, she would be able to remind him just how wonderful London was. "And all of your new friends are nice?" she nudged him and winked as she spoke. "Maybe you even have a _special _friend you want to tell me about?"

"Wha- no!" Luke seemed so taken aback that he forgot to be gloomy for a moment. "No, no one special…" The young man seemed to be fighting with himself, eyes downcast and hands in his pockets. "...nothing like that," he replied, and then, in a mumble so quiet Flora wasn't quite sure she heard it, added "there's nobody special at all…"

"..If you insist." She replied, still trying to sound playful. It was awful to see Luke so downtrodden, after all. Maybe if she kept up her playful act, he would catch on as well. "But you must have some wonderful new friends to tell me about! And surely you've been on a great many adventures-"

Luke winced at the words, and that was Flora's limit. She could try to nudge Luke toward the bright side when he was trying to hide his feelings, but seeing him so genuinely distraught was more than she could take. Luke was as much her little brother as Alfendi, after all. She couldn't let him suffer like this…

The young lady stopped dead in her tracks and, in the most serious tone she could muster, asked "Luke, what's wrong?"

Her companion looked back at her, looking momentarily shocked at the sudden change of pace before he looked down, shoulders slumping completely.

"I… it's everything, Flora." the words seemed to come rushing out of him in a flood, like he had been bursting to say something. "It's Ireland, it's London, it's that - it's that _kid._ I just… everything is so..."

Flora guided her companion over to a bench as he spoke, sitting him down out of concern that his knees would buckle under him - a concern he seemed to be grateful for, because he dropped down onto the seat and let his head crash into his hands.

"It's so _different, _Flora!" he burst out, taking his hat off to run his hands through his hair. "Everything was _right_ before, you know? With the three of us, together, solving puzzles… I didn't want to move. I didn't wanna leave! But I had to, because my dad and his job, and... and _Ireland._" his fists clenched tightly around his hat as he spat out the word, as if the entire country were a personal offense against him. "Everyone there has known each other their whole lives, and I can't break in! And it's not like I can relate to them or anything, you know? Because how many of them have been around the world, or been kidnapped by vampires, or _died?!_ This is the only place where I fit in, and it's… it's…"

"It's what?" Flora nudged gently. Knowing Luke the way she did, she knew that it was imperative that he release all of these negative emotions all at once. Bottling them up would only cause him to implode.

"It's _gone._" Luke said finally, dropping his crumpled hat to the ground so he could bury his face in his hands. "It's so _different_ now, Flora. You've all changed. You're going on adventures in… in _Chippenham_ with _Uncle Desmond_ and the Professor's _new and improved apprentice_-"

"New apprentice?" Flora cut in, confused. "The Professor doesn't have a new apprentice, Luke."

Luke raised his head from his hands, a baffled expression on his face as this information sank in. "The kid… the… he's not…?"

If the situation had not been so upsetting, Flora would have laughed as she realized what was plaguing her friend. "Wait, you mean Alfendi? Oh no, Luke you have it all wrong. Alfendi is Inspector Chelmey's apprentice." She explained, picking up Luke's hat and dusting it off for him. Clearly, her father must have forgotten to explain that detail in his letters. It must have been quite a shock for Luke to finally meet Alfendi, only to find that the younger boy had apparently taken his position! "The Professor doesn't have a new apprentice - which is in no small part because you set his standards so high, I suspect."

After de-crumpling the hat to the best of her ability, Flora gently placed it back on Luke's head before she continued. "The London you know isn't gone, Luke. I mean, it's true that things are a bit different now that you're gone, and having Alfendi around has made for quite the change of pace, but we're still you're friends." She smiled softly at her companion. "And we still care about you."

"I…" Luke paused for a moment, then sighed and started again. "You're right, of course. I'm so sorry, Flora. It's just that it's all very… overwhelming."

"No need to apologize." Flora reassured the young man. "You're right, it is overwhelming. So what you need-"he stood up as she spoke to emphasize her words "-is something familiar to help you adjust. Come on! We're nearly there!" She extended a hand to Luke, who took it and rose to his feet as well. Excited, Flora broke into a run with Luke in tow - which, admittedly, was not very ladylike, but was entirely worth it to hear Luke's surprised laughter behind her.

They didn't stop running until they reached the crooked old shack, where they skidded to a less than gracious halt. Neither of them could speak for a moment due to their lack of breath and nearly soundless laughter. When Flora finally regained her speech, she spread her arms out to gesture to the building in front of her, letting out a "Tadaaah!"

"Wait…" Luke narrowed his eyes as realization set it. "Is this…?"

At that moment, an elderly lady opened the front door and started walking toward them. "Looking for puzzles, youngsters?" Granny Riddleton asked as she approached. "Because if so, you're in the right place!"


End file.
